


Finally Ok

by reeby10



Series: Sterek Week '12 [6]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M, empath!Stiles, shielder!Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-15
Updated: 2012-08-15
Packaged: 2017-11-12 05:16:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/487109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reeby10/pseuds/reeby10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles had known since he was little that he was a little more in touch with other people's emotions than was strictly normal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finally Ok

**Author's Note:**

  * For [contextualdisorders](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=contextualdisorders).



> Sterek Week drabble 6 with the prompt from contextualdisorders "empath!stiles with derek shielding"

Stiles had known since he was little that he was a little more in touch with other people's emotions than was strictly normal. It was ok though, since his mom was the same and she helped him through the freak outs and day to day emotional explosions.

But then she'd died and he was alone.

Not really alone since he still had his dad, but that was part of the problem. There was so much pain and sadness and anger that sometimes he had to hide in his room and sob, hoping his dad couldn't hear him because that would just make things worse. It was a vicious cycle.

It took a few years, but eventually Stiles gained enough control to not break down every time someone broke up with their girlfriend or failed a test or broke an arm in lacrosse. It was still hard sometimes, especially when it was Scott or Lydia or his dad, but he could make it through without too much trouble and that was what mattered.

When he started adding more people to his little circle, though, it became harder. First Allison, then Jackson and Danny, even Derek and Isaac and Erica and Boyd. They all had so much pain in them, some more than others, and each new person added just a bit more strain to his personal shields. He could feel them cracking day by day under new fears and pains.

Eventually they broke.

In some ways he was lucky that it happened at lacrosse practice. Scott and Isaac had hit head on and he'd felt agony as their bones broke. They'd heal, but it still hurt, and Allison's mom had just died and Erica had been fighting with her parents all week. It was all just too much.

He managed to make it to his Jeep before collapsing against the door, arms wrapped around his body like it would help the sharp, throbbing pains, tears streaming from his eyes. Suddenly there were hands on his shoulders, turning him.

Derek was standing there, his usually blank face worried. “It's ok, Stiles,” he said, taking a step forward until they were chest to chest. “Everyone is alright.”

Stiles gulped in a breath of air, hands clutching spasmodically at Derek's arms. He shook his head, eyes clenched shut, but Derek moved a hand up to cup his cheek. “Just breath. Focus on me.”

The hand on his face was distracting and Stiles felt himself calming. Slowly, the sharp pains of broken bones and hearts, as well as the aches that had filled his body as long as he could remember, receded, leaving him drained.

He opened his eyes to see Derek smiling at him, a small smile, but one more real than he'd ever seen before. “You're ok now,” Derek said, thumb tentatively stroking his cheek. Stiles smiled because he thought he just might be.

**Author's Note:**

> Concrit welcome. If you like my fic, come chat with me [on tumblr](http://voldiebuns.tumblr.com/) or maybe [buy me a coffee](http://ko-fi.com/A7274PC).


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